In my co-pending patent application Ser. No. 654,371 I disclose a combination nail starting and driving tool. This invention comprises essentially a two-headed tool having a driving head composed of conventional heat treated steel and on the opposite axial end a magnetic head having a magnetic insert for use in picking up nails and tacks and starting them in the material to be fastened prior to driving with the opposite end.
This combination represented a vast improvement over old style tack hammers having a magnetized head. These old devices were quite useful but were inclined to rapidly lose their magnetism after some hammering. My earlier invention avoided this disadvantage by providing a combination in which the magnetic or pick-up end of the tool is used only for picking up the nail or tack and getting it started. The final hammering or nailing was done by swiveling the tool through 180.degree. and utilizing the driving end. This tool has proved particularly advantageous in light work or elevated work where only one hand is available for the hammering operation. The latter could be carried out quite effectively without impairing the efficiency of the magnet. Prolonged hammering on the magnet end with this device would still result in loss of magnetism.